13th Annual Pigtails Run with Sweet Sweep

EARLY START: This year I will offer a 6:30 AM early start and so you have 8 hours to complete a marathon or 50K . (Early Starter is for runners needing 6+ hours only and if you finish it under 6 hours your official finish time will be 6:00.

CUT-OFF @ MILE-21.55 for 50K: Both the 50K and Marathon will start at the same time at 7:30 AM. If you are concerned about being slower and finishing late, I suggest signing up for the marathon instead of the 50K. Please consider not keeping the volunteers and myself out in the cold winter weather. You must reach mile-21.55 @ 12:00 PM for 50K, so you can continue to your 50K course and also you have to be looking pretty good to continue.

SWAG: This year, registrants will get a surprise swag to add to your Pigtails collection! The first 100 runners will get the surprise. Volunteers will get one too.

SPONSOR: This year Hammer Nutrition will provide us with fuels, electrolytes and other recovery drinks, fuels and supplements.

FOOD BANKS: Also, I am requesting food donations for the Maple Valley Food Bank and Federal Way Multi-Service Center (Food Bank). Please bring 2-3 items and have at least one item be chicken noodle soup or butternut squash soup so that we can warm ourselves up at the finish.

REGISTRATION:(Plus fees in all pricing) Registration is open until mid-night December 10, Monday. If you email me after this, you will not get a response.

This run is on Cedar River Trail. There is no significant hill unless you are running the 50K where there is a slight hill at mile 21 when you leave the marathon course to do an extra out and back to get the additional 5 miles before returning to the marathon course at mile 26. The marathon course is about 11 miles packed gravel and 15 miles paved bike path. The 50K is 16 miles packed gravel and 15 miles paved bike path. The race start/finish is at Landsburg Park in Ravensdale. There is a main parking area and more around the corner on the other side of the river. Please carpool as there a limited number of spots and there is not much parking along the road. Thank you for carpooling last year, it was much appreciated and we had enough room for all the cars. Please do not leave things in your car in plain site. This is a high car theft area. We have had cars broken into during the race. Also, I will have a volunteer show you where you cannot park. Last year, people blocked access to the water department and we got into a lot of trouble.

I will start all runners at the gate of the power line trail that parallels the Cedar River Trail for ½ mile out and ½ mile back. This will spread out runners before having to squeeze on the trail next to the gate where runners will run a little bit of road on the bridge over the river, through the parking area and finally on the Cedar River Trail (this is only 0.15mi from the power line gate). All runners will run the slightly downstream packed gravel rails to trail to the 1st aid station (with volunteers) at 5.85mi, continue straight to the 2nd aid station (with volunteers this year) at 11.25mi, 2.45 miles to the boundary of King County Parks/City of Renton at 13.7 miles at turn around and now slight upstream, 2.45mi back to 3rd aid station (same as #2) at 16.15mi, and back to 4th aid station at 21.55mi (same as #1). At that point marathoners will continue straight back to the finish (4.7mi to go). 50K runners will turn right/uphill towards Lake Wilderness for 2.45mi out (slightly more uphill grade) before turning around back to last aid station (same as #4) with 4.7mi to the end. The finish will end at the end of the Cedar River trail, so you won’t have to run through the parking area and on the road over the river as in the beginning. Please dress appropriately for the run and remember to bring warm clothes to change into at the finish.

COURSE MARKINGS

The course will be marked with yellow spray paint or flour and signs at intersections and turn-around. The course is flat with the first half predominantly downstream and second half predominantly upstream. Be careful not to wear yourself out in the first half!

There is one major intersection at Cedar Grove Road between aid #1 and #2 (and again between #3 and #4 on the back) that is a traffic light. There will be no course monitor there, so you must obey regular traffic light laws. No one will be there to stop traffic for you.

SAFETY

Try to do your best to be safe at all times and try not to put anyone else in an unsafe situation. Aid Station Volunteers will have cell phones to call for assistance or emergency evacuation from any point on the trail if needed.

AID STATIONS

**Approximate mileage (Aid stations #1, #4, and #5 are the same and #2 and #3 are the same).

Aid #1: 5.85mi (next aid 5.4mi)

Aid #2: 11.25mi (next aid 4.9mi)

Aid #3: 16.15mi (next aid 5.4mi)

Aid #4: 21.55mi (to finish for marathoners in 4.7mi, next aid for 50K 4.9mi) CUT OFF FOR THE 50K IS 12:00 PM and for Marathoner is 1:00 PM.

Aid stations #1, #4, and #5 (all the same station) will be manned and is a major aid station. There will be the usual ultra fare: candy, chips, cookies, gels, and probably something hot. No drop bags this year. In past years, only a few people used them and it was always a hassle to get them back to the runner’s expectations. You can leave stuff at the first aid station and grab it on your way back. If you forget to pick it up again, you will just have to wait until the aid station closes and for the aid station workers to return to the start/finish to get it back. If weather is really nasty, I will have garbage bags for runners to help with rain and wind. Aid stations #2 and #3 (same aid station) will be manned this year and will have water candy, and possibly some gels. Everyone should carry one water bottle and most of their fuel. There will be gels on course to help supplement but not to fuel everyone for their entire run.

**PLEASE, NO LITTERING ON THE COURSE. CARRY YOUR TRASH TO THE AID STATIONS AND DEPOSIT THERE.

BATHROOMS

I am putting 2-Sanicans on the trailhead side at the Finish / Parking area. Please do not use the sanicans across the street at the Landsburg park. I do not have permit to use the Watershed area. Like last year: I will put a Sanican at 6.7 mile (~less than a mile from Aid #1) and you will see it again at 20.7 mile. For any emergency use the Facili-trees and please do not forget to bring /pack out your TP!

PARKING

PLEASE CARPOOL! We will try to squeeze in as many cars in the main parking as possible. I will have a volunteer direct parking across the street so that the watershed gate is not blocked. This happened last year-some runners parked too close to the gate and the watershed threatened to get those cars towed. Cars can also park in a wide area across the river on the south side where we actually start the race. Finally, after that, there is street parking but there is not much room on the shoulder, so carpool and arrive early enough to get a spot. No parking pass required.

POST-RACE

There will be hot soup at the finish. If you would like, bring an item to share.

FINISHER’S AWARDS

Finisher’s medals. If you break the course record for the marathon, you will get $26.20. If you break the 50K course record, you will get $31.00.

COURSE RECORDS

Marathon:

Female: Marlene Farrell 3:02:10 (2012)

Male: Uli Steidl 2:31:26 (2012)

50K:

Female: Gina Slaby 3:40:58 (2017)

Male: Zach Gingerich 3:18:07 (2017)

Contact RD: ELMOJR007@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER

PARTICIPANTS IN THIS EVENT ASSUME ALL RISKS OF SUCH PARTICIPATION. PARTICIPANTS CERTIFY THAT THEY ARE PHYSICALLY FIT AND SUFFICIENTLY TRAINED TO COMPLETE SUCH PORTION OF THIS EVENT AS THEY CHOOSE TO COMPLETE. BY ELECTING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT, THE PARTICIPANT WAIVES, RELEASES AND DISCHARGES FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, LOSSES OR LIABILITIES FOR DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, PARTIAL OR PERMANENT DISABILITY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, MEDICAL OR HOSPITAL BILLS OR THEFT WHICH MAY ARISE OUT OF OR RELATE TO PARTICIPATION IN THIS EVENT. PARTICIPANTS AGREE NOT TO SUE, AND TO HOLD HARMLESS ANY AND ALL PERSONS, SPONSORS, VOLUNTEERS, PARTICIPANTS OR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR ANY AND ALL CLAIMS OR LIABILITIES THAT THEY HAVE WAIVED, RELEASED OR DISCHARGED BY THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE PIGTAILS RUN (AKA: PIGTAILS FLAT ASS).